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Why I Went To Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

It was the
worst possible nightmare. After having spent time in the warm, friendly,
scenic, and ultra-affordable Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el Sheikh, 221
Russians and 3 Ukrainians were en route back to St. Petersburg on Kogalymavia
Flight 9268 . Twenty-minutes after take-off, American satellites picked up a
bright flash from the plane. Contact was lost and then Flight 9268 crashed to
the ground, killing all on board. Though it is still too early to determine the
actual cause of the crash, UK, Russia and others are convinced it was a bomb
planted in the hold. Russia stopped flights to Egypt and Britain repatriated
its nationals without their hold luggage.

Sharm el
Sheikh is an amazing resort on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. It is
where the Gulf of Aqaba meets the Red Sea. The weather is usually warm, the sea
waters are enticingly blue, the coral and diving opportunities are limitless,
and you can get 5 star facilities and service for 1 star prices. I could
imagine the Queen of Sheba enjoying similar scenery as she made the long
journey to inquire of King Solomon in Jerusalem.

As it turned
out, I was scheduled to visit Sharm el Sheikh 3 weeks later for rest and
recreation. In light of this situation, should I proceed to Sharm or cancel? National
governments were warning their citizens about going to the seaside resort and
even the Australian government advised citizens to ‘reconsider’ their need to
travel to Egypt as a whole.

I decided to
proceed, not out of stubbornness or rebellion. Here’s why:

LOCAL
INFORMATION: Government
advisory services are a good thing, but they cannot replicate the information
which is provided by locals. I have learned in travel that local information
trumps international every time. The locals said that everything at Sharm el
Sheikh that it was ‘business as usual’ and if the situation changed, they would
let me know. They were right.

TERRORISM: This dreadful phenomena has been
rearing its ugly head at a global level for years now. While it presents a
dangerous challenge, we must remember that global terrorism itself is not
currently an existential threat to the Western World. They can cause damage,
like with September 11th, but they cannot bring down governments. If the West
declines or is damaged, it will be from inward corruption, not external treats.

Often,
terrorist are magnified more than they deserve as if they are omnipotent and
omnipresent - which is nonsense. Their biggest product is the manufacturing of
fear and to manipulate people and governments through it. Knee-jerk reactions
to terrorist acts plays right into their hands.

While it is
understandable why Russia, Britain, and Germany took immediate action to stop
flights to Egypt, the fact is that the terrorists were gloating at their
ability to railroad major nations while trying to damage the Egyptian economy.
This is so even if they had nothing to do with the event; and they are reaping
millions of dollars of free publicity in the process. Even if they succeed in
doing a major act of terror, the likelihood of replicating that act in the
immediate aftermath is usually low.

Perhaps we can
take a note at the Israelis: their philosophy is that one of the ways to defeat
terrorism is to rebuild and get on with life. In 2001, the Sbarro Restaurant at
the strategic intersection of Jaffa Road and King George in downtown Jerusalem
was bombed and several people were killed, including a teenager from Melbourne.
The response? The restaurant was quickly rebuilt and open for business, as if
nothing happened. By getting on with the business of life, you are showing
courage and fortitude that will defeat every foe.

SOLIDARITY
WITH EGYPTIAN PEOPLE: Next to the Russian/Ukrainian victims of the airline crash, the
Egyptian people have suffered the most from this event. To know the Egyptians
is to love them - they are warm, hospitable, gregarios, and very welcoming.
They also love to laugh. They have ridden on one wild roller coaster ride, with
the 2011 Revolution, the rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood, unstable neighbours
in an unstable region, economic distress with low wages and high prices, and an
insurgency in northern Sinai. Tourism is a major source of income for this
nation of 89 million so as true friends, we should support and visit them, not ‘cut
and run.’

SPIRITUALITY: If you are a person of faith and
have been led by God to take a course of action, then follow it through no
matter what. ‘We walk by faith, not by sight’ (II Corinthians 5:7).
Believing that the LORD directed my steps to go to Egypt, with His peace in the
heart, we must not be dismayed by adverse circumstance. People who are
chronically ‘risk adverse,’ always wanting to play it safe, will live the most
claustrophobic, mediocre and unfulfilled life. Full stop.

RESULTS: The week I spent in Sharm el
Sheikh and Egypt was nothing short of wonderful. The people were so grateful to
see me, I had smiles, even hugs, wherever I went, enjoyed snorkelling in the
Red Sea, which was comparable to the Great Barrier Reef which I visited 3
months earlier. Indeed, in Sharm and Cairo, I had such a great time and made so
many friends, I hated to leave and can’t wait to get back!

As we face
challenging times, remember that the steps of a good man are ordered of the
LORD (Psalm 37:23). Proceed as planned and you can’t go wrong.

Comments

Dr. Kameel,it was an honor for us to have you with us, and it will be our pleasure always to welcoming you back to your second home any time. moreover, thank you for your kind and supportive words, which was relay touched by heart, as it's all a real feeling of what you found in Egypt,Your good-self and your words will remain in our mind.

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Kameel Majdali

Born isn Los Angeles to Arab-American parents, I was raise without religion or faith. In my mid teens I came to faith in Christ and so my journey began. I encountered the Middle East at 21 and made my move their for a visit to celebrate a cousins wedding and so I then moved to Jerusalem where I married and was ordained in the ministry.